I.O.U.S.A. (2008)

I love this movie so much

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

"Ask the economists. I think I only got a B-minus in economics. But I got an A-plus in cutting taxes." George W. Bush Although it's easy to bash Bush on the deplorable state of the American economy, Director Robert Creadon's horror documentary, I.O.U.S.A., ascribes the problem to practically every breathing legislator and greedy consumer, all of whom abetted the credit crisis by allowing or encouraging or simply taking advantage of the buy now, pay later syndrome that left the country vulnerable to mortgages they couldn't pay and credit card balances that crush.In their heroic effort to encourage debate about the financial state of the country, US Comptroller General David Walker and Concord Coalition head Bob Bixby have been traveling the country before the election in a "Fiscal Wake-Up Call" for the electorate to stir debate about the crisis. This well-documented doc highlights the testimony of Fed chairman Paul Volcker, billionaire Warren Buffett, and former secretaries of the treasury Robert Rubin and Paul O'Neill, all of whom agree on how the United States accrued $10 trillion in national debt. The doc inevitably will be compared with Al Gore's prize-winning Inconvenient Truth, and rightfully so, because while Gore's is simple in its illustration of future climate challenge, I.O.U.S.A. is complex, almost wonky, in its details about the lethal connections that brought us to the brink.If you believe we can continue to spend what we don't have and reduce the taxes of those who have, then this is not the documentary for you. To its credit, the film hears from all sides of the political stakeholders with nary a dissent about the problem. In Gore's case, some important scientists still disagree about the severity of global warming; in Creadon's case, no one disagrees about the fiscal cancer.Insights abound in this overflowing screed such as the warning about a future where there will not be enough wage earners to sustain Medicare and Social Security. The film emphasizes the catastrophic cost of Medicare, exacerbated 40% by the addition of a prescription drug plan that dwarfs the impact of the Iraq War and earmark excess. While Walker and Bixby do their best to be balanced in their reactions to such a choker, they rightfully cannot repress their awe of the ignorance that committed us and our grandchildren to debt for decades."A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing." Alexander Hamilton

This is the truth of the matter. We, as Americans, are living far beyond our means. Don't blame Me, You or Curly Sue but we are in a "Black Hole". Our 9 TRILLION National Debt will kill the U.S. economy in just a few short years if we do not, now, as a Nation, start to take preventive action to avoid the meltdown. Social Security and Medi-care will suck up huge resources from the Federal budget, as the film suggests. Our Chinese Masters may soon call "All In" as they say in poker. Should we call the bluff and re-allocate monetary resources away from "Intitlements," which suck up large amounts of money, we still will be at a disadvantage in the long run. We need now to cut the fat from the bone if we are serious about surviving, as a Nation, the next 20 years.

This documentary is simply outstanding. It has a fast moving pace, covering a tremendous amount of material, without losing a layman's audience. It is educational as well as entertaining. Of course, with the upcoming elections, the timing for the movie couldn't be better. It helps educate voters on one of the most important topics for the upcoming election. At the same time, it is not a partisan movie, and does not lay blame on one party over another. It seems fair in its portrayal of this problem and does not have an ulterior political motive. Finally, it is a great date movie because you will have plenty to discuss afterward.

Comptroller of the United States GAO gives us the facts and describes some history of why the financial crisis of the government budget deficit and national debt are the top threats facing the United States today. Our nation has lost its way and we somehow think it is sustainable for us to spend more as a nation than we earn. The facts and numbers are shocking. Where we will be in 25 years is even more alarming. But it is not too late. As recently as the end of the 1990s the nation was operating under a balanced budget. We can do that again and begin paying down our debts. Excellent presentation of these facts. Not a hopeless cause. But we do need to make some adjustments as a nation. This movie is a must see for everyone of any political persuasion. Very educational.